Toy submarine



March 26, 1940. A. J. MIDDLER TOY SUBMARINE Filed Deo. io, 1957 2 sheets-sneer 1 www. www. www am D WQ wb YE V www ww mw mw.. *I

Bnventor OMD (IttormegY March 26, 1940.l A. J. MIbDLER 2,194,564

' TOY SUBMARINE Filed Dec. 10, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2

INVENTR. Mala/Ml cf W//p//fr ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. `ze, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT voEincE TOY SUBMARINE` `Alexander J. Middler, Detroit,Mch.

Application December 10, 1937, Serial No. 179,095

9 Claims.

shells, a spring motor, and an air chamber which- W can be separately made and installed between the assembled shells thereby eliminating the requirement of a water tight construction forthe remainder of the interior.

Another object is to provide bulkheads Within the shells whereby air may be entrapped to provide additional buoyancy in order that the'boat may ride high while cruising, means for releasing this air whereby it settles into divingtrim, and

"a separate chamber adapted to ll with `water 20 upon the rst dive and to additionally depress the boat between dives, this chamber being ported in order to release this additional water when the diving is finished and the boat is cruising prior to being taken from the Water. One ad 2'vantage of this chamber is that the boat seems to rise at a steeper angle and consequently gives the appearance of greater speed in the water.

Another object is to provide a separate com-V partment for air, which compartment is pernianently sealed and which is separately placed within the interior of the shell in combination with means for causing a iiow of water through the remainder of the shell in order to eliminate any air bubbles collected therein whiohvwould otherwise alter the buoyancy and interfere with.

diving, it being understood that the balance bev tween buoyant and non-buoyant conditions is such that a substantially additional amount of air over and above that provided in the sealed d0` chamber may prevent any diving at all.

Another object is to provideatorsional spring motor running substantially the entire length of the boat, the end of thisl spring being bent at an` angle `for connection to a Wind-up means on top 55 thismeans comprising nsextending laterally of of the boat without theuse of hinging or gearing the boat adjacent the propeller and a crank arm for rotating these iins through the arc of a circle at predetermined intervals. Other- `objects and advantages will become hereinafter more fully apparent as reference is 5 had to the accompanying drawings wherein my invention is illustrated and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the completed boat, Fig. 2 is a'view similar to Fig. l showing the interior ofthe boat and taken along the line 2--2 `10 of Fig.3,f

Fig. 3 is atop elevation of Fig. 1, Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken along the line 6-9 of Fig. 2, t f

Fig. 7 is a detail of the thrust bearingtaken along the line 7-1 of Fig. 2, and

Figs.`8, 9 and 10 are detail views of the diving fins and control means therefor.` Fig. 11 is a fdetail longitudinal section through the rear portion of the air container chamber connected to an air motor, as a modified driving means.

More particularly, the boat is made or two shells, l 'and 2 having crimped edges 3 and 3a as best illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, whichare so shaped as to engage each other, V.thus forming a seam along the sides of the boat. The shell l` has two bulkheads 4 and 5 integral therewitho ne fore and one aft thusdening with the sidesof the shell two air traps 6 and 'l from which air may be vented by the opening of the valves or shutters 8 and 9 respectively which cover and uncover the holes lil and il. When these shutters are opened water may enter through the lower vents I2 to replace the air.

Between the bulkheads 4 and 5 is a sealed air v40 chamber I3 which may be made of vany `desired shape but which is preferably cylindrical in the interests of economy. This chamber should be of very fulldimensions so that, in the event 'of an adjustment of the buoyancy of the boat, the chambermay be dented to reduce its volume thus eliminating the time and expense of adding weighting material. By making `'this chamber separable the expense of a die necessary to form `it with the shell is eliminated. In order to hold this chamber in position it is provided with a projection I4 which extends through the shell l and through a superstructure I5, in the form oi? a cunning tower being secured thereto by a screw I6 which also secures the supersrrsfr re to the shell. The chamber I8 has two small projections I 'I which space it from the shell I thus preventing the entrapment of air about the chamber, the air between the bulkheads being free to escape through the vents yI8 in the side of the shell top or'through the opening I9 at the base of the gun turret 20. The air chamber is thus safeguarded from denting in case the boat is dropped or receives any other accidental impact.

Inside the superstructure I5 is a small cup ZI having a hole 22 at the bottom thereof. The superstructure has openings 23 to inlet water so that this cup will ll with water during the first dive of the boat and will remain substantially filled until ldiving operations are nished where upon the cup 2l will drain.

The shell I has a downwardly extending'rear structure 24 comprising converging walls, as best seen in Fig. 6, joined by a wall 25 which has an opening therethrough constituting a bearing for the propeller shaft 25. A portion 21 of the shell I overhangs the wall 25 and serves to support one end of a bracket Z8 upon which a rudder 29 is mounted with a substantial amount of fric tion in the mounting whereby the rudder will remain in any position to which it is manually rotated, the other end of the bracket being secured to the walls 24 at their juncture.

Extending through the walls 24, below the propeller shaft 26, is a flat shaft portion Sil, connecting two elevators SI, the shaft portion 35 being journalled in triangular openings 32 (Fig. 10) so that the elevators may be rocked through a vertical arc by a rod Sla .iournalled in a bracket 32. This bracket is secured to a gear wheel y33 in mesh with a pinion 34.

The lower shell 2 is secured to the upper shell by 'a screw 35 which extends therethrough and into a stay 36 lxedly secured to the shell I. The rear end of the shell 2 slips inside the walls 24 and rests upon a ledge 31 of the upper shell at its rear end and is detachable from lthe upper shell by removal of the screw 35.'

Within the shells and extending upwardly into the air trap E is a gearing 38 for driving the propeller shaft 25. this gearing being .iournalled in parallel walls 39 and 4I), one of the walls 39 having a clearance hole through which the propeller shaft passes freely. A bearing for the propeller shaft is formed in a bracket 4I secured to this wall and outwardly of the bracket 4I is a bracket guard 42 which. accepts the thrust of the propeller shaft. A gear is i'ixedlv mounted on the propeller shaft between the bearing in the bracket 4I and the wall 39. The pinion 34 is also driven by the gearing 38 and. consequently. the elevators rock through a period inversely proportionate to the 'speed of the propeller shaft 25.

Securely xed in the wall 4B is a shaft or spring core on which a gear wheel55 is freely mounted, this gear driving the bearing 38. Anchor-ed in the gear 56 isone end of a spring 42% which is coiled about the core 55, the other end of this spring being anchored in a loose collar 44 which rotates on the core 55 and may slide with respect thereto. Also anchored in the collar 44 is a heavier spring 45 which serves as a flexible connection between the spring 43 and a vertical wind-up Yshaft 41 into which the upper end 45 of the core 55 extends and which has a handle 5G formed to resemble a gun. A tube 48 is xed to the shell I as a bushing for the tube 41 and a tongue 48 formed in the tube 41 coacting withan opening formed thereforin the shaft'46. A spring 53 anchored to the shell I and pressing against a notched collar 54 forms a ratchet device.

I n operation, when the shutters 8 and 9 are closed, the boat will cruise but when these shutters are opened all air except that in the chamber I 3 will be displaced by water through the holes I 2 and the boat will assume a diving trim and will dive and emerge intermittently. It will dive against a substantial buoyancy when the speed is sufficient, but in order to prolong the period of diving the water in the cup 2I serves to reduce the buoyancy. When speed has slackened so that it will no longer dive it will cruise for a period.

` During this period water will drain from the cup 2|, so that by the time the boat is lifted from the water this cup will have become empty. The diving period and depth of diving is controlled by the period of the ns 3l.

In order to hold the propeller against rotation during winding and before the boat is placed in water, I provide a locking means in the form of a lever 5I pivoted at 52 to the rudder 29.' When turned to the position illustrated in Fig. 1 the propeller is free to rotate Whereas if it is rotated clockwise through a few degrees it will be obvious that the propeller cannot rotate.

In Fig. 11 an air chamber 51 is inserted between the two shells I a and 2a, this chamber performing the functions described for the chamber i3 and also serving as a storage means for compressed air which may be inletted thereto from a hand pump or any suitable outside source. A pipe line 58 leads from the chamber 51 to an air motor 59 of any suitable design to the main shaft of which the propeller shaft 26a is secured. A manually operable valve 55 controls the opening or closing of the line 58.

What I claim is:

l. A toy submarine comprising two mating shell halves having vents through the walls thereof, means securing said halves together, a driving means,` and a separable buoyancy chamber housed by said shells and secured to one thereof, said chamber being disposed in the upper half of said shell and having its ends substantially spaced from the ends of said shell.

2. A toy submarine comprising two mating shell halves having their meeting edges lying in a substantially horizontal plane, means securing said halves together, propeller driving means housed by said shells, and a separable buoyancy air chamber also housed by said shells and spaced from the side walls thereof, said chamber having its ends spaced from the ends of said shell, and means for varying buoyancy at the ends of said shell.

3. A toy submarine comprising shell halves joined along a substantially horizontal plane, the lower half of said shell having openings therein, propeller driving' means housed by the shell, spaced bulkheads integral with the top one of said halves and depending therefrom with their lower extremities spaced from the lower shell half, whereby air may be entrapped forwardly of the front one thereof and rearwardly of the other thereof, manual means for venting the spaces in which air is entrapped, a sealed air chamber residing between said bulkheads, and

constantly open vents for outletting all air bespace between the two bulkheads, air vents having manually controlled outlet means for each,v

e the front of said shell and the other toward the outer end of said projection securing said chamof said air traps, and a 4sealed air chamber between said bulkheads.

5. .A toy submarine comprising a (hollow shell made in two halves with their edges meeting along a substantially horizontal line, the edges of said halves being formed for interfitting engage-` ment, screw means securing said edges in engagement, propeller driving means housed by said shell, spaced bulkheads carried by the top one of said halves, one of said bulkheads residing toward rear thereof and each dening an air trap with the yfront and rear walls of said shell respectively, v

air vents having manually controlledl outlet means for each of said air traps, a sealed air chamber between said bulkhead,j`and a water container above the water line thereof during cruising adapted to become filled with water during the lirst dive of the submarine, said container having a small hole at the bottom thereof whereby the water will drain therefrom upon comple-4 tion of the diving operations.

6. A toy submarine capable of intermittent diving comprising a hollow shell having a. propeller driving means housed thereby, a superstructure resembling a cunning tower atop the submarine having openings therethrough, a water container housed by said superstructure adapted to ll with water duringthe rst dive of the submarine, said container having a small hole therethrough at the base thereof whereby the water will drain there- `from upon completion of diving operations, a separable sealed air chamber in said shell having a projection extending through said lshell and through said superstructure, and a cap for the berk and said superstructure to said shell.

7. `A toy submarine comprising a hollow shell made in two vhalves with their edges meeting `along a substantially horizontal line, the edges 'of said'halves being formed for interiitting engagement, screw means securing said edges shell, spaced bulkheads carried by the top one of vsaid halves, one ofsaid bulkheads residing toward the front of said shell and the other toward the rear thereof and each dening an air trap with the front and rear walls of said shell respectively, air `vents having manually controlled outlet means for varying the buoyant elect of each of said traps, a Sealed air chamber between said .f

bulkheads, said propeller driving means comprising areduction gearing rearwardly of said cham`nl ber and extending into'the rear one of said air traps, a spring wind-up means extendingthrough said shell beneath `said buoyant chamber and l.

downwardly through the front one of said air traps,and a coiled spring connecting said gearing and said wind-up'lmeans. I

8. A tof,7 submarine comprising a hull having `rechir'ztion gearing for driving a propeller shaft and propeller, an elongated core extending forwardly of said hull and bent at its forward end through substantiallyninety degrees, a torsion spring wrapped around said core having one endv connected to said gearing for driving purposes and itsother end connected to a wind-up means comprising a tube extending through said `hull and over the forward end of said core and a handle on said tube outwardly of said hull.

9. `A toy submarine formed of'non-buoyant material and comprising. a shell formed of mating sections of predetermined weight, means securing said sections together, driving means for prof pelling the submarine, a permanently sealed buoyancy chamber within said shell of such buoyancy as to render the submarine capable of floating,

said shell being vented in such manner that said chamber constitutes the sole buoyancy means, and intermittently operable means for causing the submarine to dive.

\ ALEXANDER J MIDDLER. 

